omg! when they were talking bout ktown i was screaming and jumping up and down coz... I LIVE IN KTOWN!!!!! kyaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

---Second thoughts on MTV Iggy and BoA
When everybody heard the news that BoA is going to appear on MTV, BoA is crossing over with a new English Album, and BoA released an English single, there was a lot of blog posts, a lot of buzz, and a lot of excitement. Nothing unusual there. As more details came in, we learned that it’s not so much MTV, it’s MTV Iggy. What is MTV Iggy? That was the question in my mind a couple of months ago. Now that I’ve actually had time to breath for a little bit, I’m realizing that I’m missing the much bigger question, and it seems that a lot of people have as well.

BoA is looking to crossover to an American audience. She is releasing an American album. She just released an American single. Why is she on MTV Iggy — MTV’s second attempt to reach Asian Americans after the failed Chi, K, and Desi — when she should be on the main MTV channel? When British pop stars crossover, there’s no MTV Brit. They appear on the parent MTV channel, on their new artist webpage, and their music circulated through the MTV hit-making machine.

BoA already has a strong base among Asian Americans; she’s trying to reach all Americans. Yet for some reason, she’s on some newly launched division of MTV that has no TV channel and seemingly little infrastructure. Perhaps MTV didn’t think BoA was good enough? Even if that was true, have you seen some of the stuff that’s on MTV now? Whatever the reasons are the fact remains that, BoA, one of Asia’s biggest pop star, was segregated from other MTV artists.

Some people will say, “but it’s still MTV!” Unfortunately, not all MTV’s are created equal.

Why does all this even matter? MTV is a hit-making machine. It has a direct pipeline into the minds of American youth and whatever it sends down that pipe is pretty much going to be a hit. That is the power of mainstream and mass media. It influences thought and therefore spending. The entire premise of American Idol is to expose undiscovered artists to tens of millions of people even before their first album is out to ensure strong sales. You don’t even have to win the contest to be a hit with that show. (See Clay Aiken, David Archuleta, Chris Daughtry, et al. Don’t see William Hung.) This is also why YouTube is such a revolution, putting the hit-making decision into the hands of the community and allowing for everyday people to become stars.

What does this mean for BoA? She’s got a huge uphill battle. And expect Ningin to be side by side with her and any other Asian artist looking to succeed in the Western world.